Adjuvant role of radiation therapy for locally advanced laryngeal cancer without pathological lymph node metastasis

Abstract

Conclusion The application of adjuvant RT to reduce recurrence should be tailored in cases of pathologically negative node metastasis. Objectives The treatment modality following surgical resection of advanced laryngeal cancer is determined by adverse factors. Aside from lymph node metastasis (LNM) or positive margins, definite risk factors supporting adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) have not been clearly suggested. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors for advanced laryngeal cancer without LNM and the role of RT. Materials and methods Pathologically T3 and T4-staged laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma without LNM were reviewed. The patients were classified into RT (+) (n = 22) and RT (−) (n = 38) groups. Results Five-year overall survival (OS) of the RT (+) and RT (−) groups was 84.4% and 83.8%, respectively. Five-year disease-specific survival of the RT (+) and RT (−) groups was 88.4% and 93.9%. Five-year local control rate of the RT (+) and RT (−) groups was 94.7% and 91.3%. The factors affecting OS were smoking history and recurrence history (p = 0.02). By multivariate analysis, smoking history and recurrence history were determining factors for 5-year OS (p = 0.024 and p = 0.047, respectively).

Keywords:

• Advanced larynx cancer
• head and neck cancer
• radiation therapy
• lymph node metastasis
• treatment outcome

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant (2014–620) from the Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.